Country of origin:

Type of music generally:

Status:

See also:

Comparisons:

Covers/own material:

Mostly own, but also covers

General comments:

She was an acquired taste. That particular song ["Lay Down"] was quite anthemic with gospel overtones, partly because she was backed up by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, a large r&b/gospel group who are a long way from Melanie's regular sound. (She never used her last name on her albums.) Her voice was something between a screech and Janis Ian. She targets Pop as opposed to Protest or Folk; the album "Candles in the Rain" was released 3/70. The alternative press (which included Rolling Stone, then) just hated everything she did. In terms of positioning her in the female singer/songwriter (she did write some of her songs) pantheon now it would be very hard to say. Not as teenybopper as Tiffany but targeting the then-equivalent of that market; not a lightweight yet talented (in my opinion) pop singer like Kylie Minogue or Sheryl Crow; she's too quirky and original for that. (mp@moonmac.com)

She aligned herself very much with the singer-songwriter image of the day. A little folky and forever a hippie. She had a knack for knocking out a cutesy pop song every album or so and was forever branded for it, but she preferred to be remembered for her folkier side. Her voice was most definitely an acquired taste, one I must've acquired, since I have every one of her 20 or so albums, including the one she put out last year, her first in 10 years.
She played Woodstock and she played Carnegie Hall. She covered Dylan, Croche, Ochs, Newman and the Stones. And she deserved a better place in rock history than "Brand New Key", a song she later said she regretted writing. (pmcohen@voicenet.com)

Release info:

1989—Food for Thought (UK)

Availability:

Currently out of print

Ecto priority:

High if you like a little of the rough edge

Group members:

Melanie Safka—vocals, guitar

Comments:

Judging from this album, Melanie definitely has a place in an Ectophile's collection, but I don't know how this album stacks up against her others. Melanie's voice isn't very pretty, she's almost hoarse, but her music works very well. (jbr@casetech.dk)

Produced by:

Peter Schekeryk

Comments:

A pleasant album, nothing earthshattering, but kinda nice to hear her voice again after a 10-year absence. Hubby Peter Schekeryk once again produces and her now-teenaged kids are on it. She's still a hippie. (pmcohen@voicenet.com)

DISCLAIMER: Comments and reviews in the Ectophiles' Guide are excerpted from the ecto mailing list or volunteered by members of the list. They are the opinions of music enthusiasts, not professional music critics.

Entry last updated 2018-09-28 19:45:33.
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